


Memories

by Izzu



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-01-01
Updated: 2005-02-14
Packaged: 2017-11-08 04:35:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 15,807
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/439204
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Izzu/pseuds/Izzu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Contain spoilers to ep 51 (of the original anime). Ed has now return to his rightful place... but at what price? How will the people who cared for him going to cope with this?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. That Thing that was Lost

**Author's Note:**

> Reposting from FF. Though somehow without realizing, FF had screwed with the formatting. I'll come back fix this later... I guess.

_'Ed... promise me that you'll come back safely...'_

_Edward Elric glanced sideways at her as he merely shrugged it off. Unsatisfied with the reply, Winry forcefully tug his hair aback as she stopped braiding his hair. ' **I can't hear you** ', she growled as Ed cried out her answer. _

_'Aaaaaah! I will... I will! I promise...', said Ed as he glanced awkwardly towards the door..._

_She smiled softly as she leaned her face on the back of his shoulders. Ed felt the blood rushing to his face as Winry's soft breath grazed his barely exposed skin. 'I will hold that word on you...', she said eventually as a faint smile crept onto Ed's features. He grinned._

_'So... can you finish that braid already? It's... it's started to get a little hot in here...', stuttered Ed as Winry quickly tied his hair with a red string, chuckling all the time._

_'What...? I never knew you were so-', said Winry as she turned his head towards her to see his face becoming all red. Taken aback, Ed tried to pull away as Winry placed a quick peck on his cheek; causing him to be momentarily paralyzed. Inside the bronze sculpture, Al chuckled as he watched his brother_  involuntarily  _letting Winry to embrace him._

_'That's for good luck! I won't forgive you if you never come back again...', she whispered as tears started to dwell in her eyes..._

_Ed grimaced as he sensed that tell-tale signs of her about to cry. 'Winry... don't, Winry...'_

_xxx_

'Winry...', mused Edward morosely as he remembered what it felt like to hear her voice so near to his ears, while waiting for her to finish fixing his automail and feeling her fingers touching his face as she queried about his condition. And having the realization that he might not be able to see her lovely face again... despite what he had done to try getting back to that place where he belonged. Well... if it worked, then maybe he could show Winry his new arm.

Ed smirked at this fact as even without being able to use alchemy in this world, it seemed that the people in this world had other things to compensate for that. And thankfully, on his part... he was glad that the operation turned out well. If not... he might really be crippled. Prosthetic limbs are no equal to automails. Though, having a flesh limb rather than a mechanical but workable arm was so much better. Dangerous... for there are chances that the body would reject the foreign parts but it worth the risk.  _Wonder what will Win say if she found out that I'm admitting that her automails are better..._

He laughed bitterly as his eyes glanced towards the stacks of paper on his lap, ignoring the passing scenery of Berlin. He sighed. Hopefully, he will get the theories right and get it to work. That yearning to return to that world was too overwhelming, not because of the fact that he could probably be able to use alchemy again but the fact that he would be able again to see those faces of the people that he cared about. _Yeah... even the Colonel! Then again... he'd probably had been promoted to a higher rank already.. so I can't keep calling him Colonel..._

_So then, if I do return... would I still be the Fullmetal Alchemist? Nah, not like I would still be but if King Bradley is no longer the Fuhrer-doesn't that mean that the State Achemists fate would be different? Well, skip that. I must first find a way to return before thinking about such possibilities..._

_Hagaren... if I returned back to that world, that name will have a different meaning then._

_Dear Winry._

_Please don't be mad at me for not being able to keep that promise..._

_xxx_

'I hate you...'

Den cocked his head towards her as Winry muttered some more incoherent words towards a certain alchemist. She sniffled a tear as she lazily fingered the red cloak that she had kept very protectively, despite her words right now. 'Hate you... I really hate you! Stupid Ed!', she muttered as she cried again... perhaps for the tenth time in the week...

xxx

Central City, Military HQ

_He's at it again, why did he never listened! Those injuries will never heal properly at this rate._

Riza Hawkeye walked towards the said man who had been on his usual perch, before the grave of an old friend. 'Brigad- umm, Roy-san... you shouldn't have walk around too much by yourself! Your injuries-'

Roy Mustang looked up and turned towards Riza, his usual smirk gone and his face pale. 'You don't have to worry too much on me... you know that?', said the man. Riza smiled at him, pinching the side of his cheek as she got near enough to do it. Even with that eye-patch, he is still looking very adorable in her eyes.

'Yes... I know, but who else would in turn take care of you if I was not around? Silly...', she scolded him lightly as she dragged the man back to the infirmary. Both of them stopped as Hawkeye felt Roy's silent gesture to wanting her to stop. She glanced at him as Roy had remained, staring blankly towards the floor.

'Enough...'

Riza looked at him, puzzled as Roy looked up towards her. 'I had enough... laying about, doing nothing. I wanted to resume my job... I wanted to-'

'Find him? Do you still had high hopes that Edward might still be alive-?'

'Don't you-?', he replied back, as Riza saw again the look of forlorn helplessness in the eyes of the young general. Riza sighed as she tightened her hold on his hand. 'Me too... but with no more information as to where he could be, we might as well did nothing.', said Riza as she tried her best not to sound too harsh.

But Roy understood what she was saying... he really did. It was just that-

He slowly lowered himself so as to rest his face onto Riza's shoulder. Suddenly, his mind started replaying the faces of the people that he once knew. Alphonse... Winry's parents... her accusing stares... Maes... Edward.

'-it hurts so much.', Riza heard those sentences roughly as she comforted the latter, silently.

'I know...'

xxx

Roze and Grandma Pinako turned around suddenly as they caught Winry about to leave the house, carrying a duffel bag on her back. 'Where are you off to, asked the elderly woman as Winry turned towards her with a look of determination. 'I'm going to Central!', she said as Pinako nodded. 'It's about Ed, huh? Then, what will you do... if you still can't find him?'

Winry shrugged. 'I don't know... But I will continue looking, nonetheless.', she answered deftly as she went out of the house. Pinako kept quiet as Roze rose and followed the girl outside.

'Are you... serious about this?'

Winry smiled weakly towards her as Roze received her answer. 'All that we can do is to move forward. He always said that before. Anyway... Ed had promised to me. I will never let him break it.', said Winry as she continued walking towards the train station.

_Yes... regardless of the result that we might get, we will continue forward..._

_Until we find that answer..._


	2. Yearning for that Faintest of Hopes

He couldn't believe his eyes! She's here... definitely. Oh dear, how he hoped that this was no illusion...

'What is it... Ed?', queried the other as her voice broke his line of thoughts. Ed blinked as he stared into those two cerulean orbs that his heart has long yearned. He shook his head as he wrapped his arm around her small body. 'No... it's nothing. I was just so glad. I missed you so much! Winry...'

'Me too...', said the other as both refused to let go off each other for even a second.

_'The equivalent trade...'_

Edward Elric immediately became alert and swerved around towards the speaker. To his surprise, it was Scar... standing before him in his Ishbalite attire. 'Scar... what, what are you doing over here?', gasped Edward as the Ishvarun stepped closer.

 _'Do you really want to return to that world?'_ , he spoke again. Ed frowned at the note he's using.

'Of course!', he shouted back.

'There's a lot of people... no, it's just-that I belonged to that world. This world, do not need me to be here. I just, I just wanted to-'

_'You don't have to explain... Fullmetal-boy. We understood your feelings.'_

Ed's eyes widened as he recognized the voice. 'Lust?', he managed to say as the Homunculus knelt before him and touched his face.  _'I know that you belonged more to that world than here. But in order to return, are you willing to pay the price? It's the equivalent trade... isn't it so?'_

Ed shook his head dejectedly. 'There is no such thing as the equivalent trade...'

 _'Surely you didn't believe that for the real truth, Ed?_ ', Ed looked up in shock as the other woman emerged in front of him. 'Sloth?', he gasped as the woman shook her head. '...or mother?', he cried as tears flowed freely from his eyes. Trisha Elric nodded to her son as she placed a short kiss on his forehead.

_'The law of the equivalent trade might not be the ultimate truth of the world we knew. But still... it was a part of the truth. A way home... might just be inside your heart.'_

Tears fell like rain as Ed reached out to hold his mother's hand. 'But... why must it be so hard!', he whispered hoarsely as he heard another person approaching.

 _'There's no such thing as no such thing. Didn't I told you before?'_ , said Greed, smirking as he was accompanied by his Devil's Nest gang.  _'You won't know anything if you don't try Ed!'_ , chirped Martel as Ed felt his heart caught up. And slowly as if in an eternity, both Lust and his mother rose to leave him. Winry also got up and stood before him.

'I'll be waiting for you to come home. This time... please make sure that you did.', said Winry, winking at him before running towards where everybody was. Terrified, Ed quickly got up to try to chase her...

xxx

'Winry!', shouted Ed as he woke up to find that he was back inside his room. '... don't leave me.', he gasped in vain as he felt his body about to fall back onto the bed before someone else caught him. Ed looked up to find his father eyeing him with worry. 'Dad?'

Hohenhime shook his head as he wiped away the cold sweat on Ed's face. 'You should have called me. Shouldn't have gone home by yourself right after that surgery you took. Thankfully a friend of mine was at the station...'

'What happened?', he gasped as Hohenhime smiled weakly. 'You collapsed when you arrived at the Munich Station. Dr. Hans said that you had a fever. Probably because of your body adjusting to the new arm...'

'Oh...', said Ed as he felt his father embraced him tighter.

'What is it? I heard you calling out while asleep. Was it a bad dream?', he asked as Ed shook his head. 'No... but it's not happy either. Everyone was there...'

'You still missed them, isn't it?'

'Dad...'

'Hmm...?'

'Am I wrong? Trying to get back to that world again... after all that I've gone through.'

Hohenhime kissed his son's head as he held him longer. 'No... you have all the rights to. I'm just sorry that you had to face all of this.'

'That's good to hear...', sighed Ed as his eyes closed for that welcoming sleep...

xxx

Central City...

Roy Mustang lifted the earpiece as the young officer's voice rang in his ears. 'What is it?', he asked as the officer spoke. 'There's an open line call from Resembool. The speaker said that she wanted to talk to you.'

' _She_?', queried Mustang with interest. But then the thought of Resembool would mean that she probably was...

'It's okay. Connect me to her...', he ordered as the officer connected the line. Sure enough, the familiar voice was heard from the other side.

**/Is the Colonel over there? This is... Winry. It's Winry/**

Roy frowned as he noted the hesitant tone. But he knew it would be like this. The fact that he was the one who took her parent's life was not something that can be forgiven by anyone. Even himself.

'What is it... Winry? Is there anything that I can help you with? Oh... and it's Brigadier General. I have been promoted a few months ago...

_Yes... that would be it. At least there must be something that he could do to atone for his guilt._

**/I... I'm coming to central today. I should be arriving by tomorrow. I don't know if I can still stay at Madam Glacier's place but.../**

'You don't have to worry about that. I'll handle that problem. But first... why is it that you're coming to Central?', he asked again, puzzled by this sudden news. There's nothing here that the young lady would find pleasing. And certainly not like her to suddenly come to visit him. Glacier's would be more like it... but she shouldn't need his help for it, he hadn't the rights...

But then, wouldn't it mean that she's probably wanted to...

**/That... I wanted your help. Can you... I mean, Ed.../**

**/Can you help me find Edward! I knew the military would have some resources.../**

It was  _that_. But he never thought that Winry would also asked him to help her. Was it a coincidence? Or did fate wanted to give him a second chance. A second chance to protect that last flicker of light in his heart. Of hope... or anything that can convince him that he was not chasing an empty one. That for one day that he would finally found Fullmetal... no, Edward. He had accepted long ago that he had lost Hughes and would never get to hear his taunting of wanting him to marry. And Edward... he was like someone that he had hoped to be able to protect. Someone close to a...

Oh yes... he had a sort of family here. Or what's left of it. Riza, Armstrong, Falman, Havoc...

But everything started with  _him_. When he received that letter and helped the boy to become the state alchemist. It was then that everything started to become worthwhile. Can he still... protect that important memory?

**/Err, Brigadier... Roy? You still there? Sorry... if this turned out to be so sudden. But I/**

Roy blinked as he remembered where he was now. 'Oh... sorry, Winry. I had been thinking by my self...'

**/Is it okay? Tell me if it's not.. I don't want to force you/**

'It's okay...'

Roy heard a soft gasp from the girl as if she had not expected it to come from him. 'It's okay. I, myself... had been searching for. You know...'

**/Oh... I guess, never mind me asking this. I guess it was so sudden.../**

'Unm... but you're welcomed to come help. I... am glad. At least... I can keep on hoping...'

**/Mmm... yeah. Thanks... anyway/**

Roy looked up as Hawkeye entered his office. She raised an eyebrow as he waved her concerns away. 'So, anyway... won't your family be worried if you suddenly come here for this?'

A small snort was heard as Roy heard the girl sigh.

**/Grandma won't mind. She had Roze and her baby for company. And Al... he already in Dublith with Mrs Curtis. He's fine anyway, if you're wondering.../**

'Yup, I see... Well, call me when you finally arrived. I'll sent for Hawkeye to meet you...', he said as he heard the phone clicked from the other side. Roy gave a sigh.  _So it seemed that Al had gone to relearn alchemy with that teacher of theirs. Wonder if history will be repeated again..._

Not that he cared that much. Sheska has reported to him before that Al has still retained his form before, when the boys tried that forbidden transmutation. As a 10-year-old boy with no memories of the last four years that they had been through...

'These are the new reports that you need to confirm. It seemed that the war had been broken at the southern region...', said Hawkeye as she placed the stacks of paper on his desk. And then, she took out another set of papers, clipped together in a single bind. 'And these... are Havoc's reports. Still... nothing. Erm.. who was that just now?', said the lieutenant colonel as she placed a hand on his shoulders.

'It's Winry... She, wanted to know if I could help her find Ed.', said Roy sorrowfully as Riza ran her fingers on his shoulders. 'And you agreed?', she asked as Roy nodded his head. 'When will she be arriving?', said Hawkeye, knowing that she couldn't convince him to drop the idea.

'Tomorrow's the earliest.', he sighed as he looked up towards her. Riza nodded. 'Okay. I'll be ready for her then. Now you... how's today? Did you take your medications?', she asked sweetly, knowing the answer already.

Roy smirked at the irony. 'I did. Dared not to not take it... you've made sure of that, right? Anyhow... it's fine, thank you. I didn't do anything rash today.', he replied, much like a child seeking approval from the mother.

Riza grinned. 'Don't blame me. I hated it if anything happened to you once I let you slack off. Later then, uh? Or do you want me to make some coffee?', she said as Roy smiled charmingly at her.

'Could you? I'd love too...'

Riza snorted as she pinched the general's nose. 'Of course, dear...'

xxx

The outskirts. Several miles from Central.

Wrath looked around him, across the desert sands. This was the place. This was certainly the place where he saw that strange light. He wondered...

It's not like him to suddenly care about anything happening around him. He never cared about the humans. But it struck him odd at the mere fact that something was pulling him to check this place. Due to the fact that he had wandered this far to search for the new purpose of his life.

Still... it was odd. He felt that he was called here, by the voices that he knew; he wouldn't suppose to be able to hear again. Wrath walked again as he suddenly tripped over a boulder, hidden among the sands...

He cursed lightly at this misfortune and was about to vent his anger at it. But a different thought came over him as he saw the thing that had tripped him. Or more exactly... who, had tripped him.

Yes... that was odd.

So very odd...


	3. Guarding the Light

Hawkeye gave a salute as she bid for leave. 'I'll be going now... take care of yourself while I'm gone.', she said as Roy gave a frown. 'It's just a short trip down the station! I'll be alright in that short moment while you're gone!', replied Roy dejectedly.

Hawkeye grinned as she noticed that lost puppy look on Roy's face. 'I know, but I also knew your affinity to slacking off and for attracting trouble-'

'Hey! I'm not your-'

'-child?', Hawkeye cut in as a tinge of red slightly colored Roy's cheeks. She grinned as she walked towards his side.

'What? Suppose you've expected a different reply?'

Roy looked away. Heat rushed to his face as he tried vainly to hide it. 'No. It doesn't mean that I liked you  _that_ much... to expect you to...', Roy turned his face as his nose touched Riza's lightly, as the lieutenent colonel leaned closer.

'Yes?', Riza queried as her breath touched his lips. Slightly embarassed, he shakily pushed her away towards the door. 'It's nothing! No... none at all!', he cried in panic.

'And Winry... Yes! She'll be waiting at the station... you'd better-'

Riza turned around as she caught the man stumbled a little towards his side. 'Roy! You hurt? Anything wrong?', she cried as Roy looked up at her with a smirk.

'It's nothing... and you called me again by my first name. How sweet...', he replied as he grinned, back to his flirty mood.

A bit flustered, Riza clamped her mouth shut as she looked at him with mock anger and sighed. 'Okay... I'm going! Remember what I've said before!', she reminded him as she left. Roy closed the door behind him as he leaned on it.

He gasped as he lifted his hand to clutch the side of his shoulder that suddenly had been throbbing painfully. He cursed to himself as he barely heard his phone rang. He slowly walked to his chair as he answered the call.

'Hello... Mustang here. What's the matter?', he spoke coldly as the officer muttered his apologies.

The officer begun explaining things to him as Mustang's eyes started to open wide. 'Are you sure? That's what he said? And that... umm, watch them! I'll come over!', he cried as he hastily rushed out of his office...

xxx

'Where is he...? That kid...', muttered Mustang as the lower officer dashed towards him. 'He's there!', said officer Doyle as Mustang glanced towards the direction he's pointing at. Mustang leered at the kid before noticing the other person...

And Wrath sneered and grinned at him smugly as he watched the man rushed suddenly pass him...

xxx

Winry hummed by herself loudly as she sauntered around the station when she saw Lieutenant Hawkeye walking into the station by herself. She called out as she darted towards her.

'Miss Hawkeye! Over here...!', cried Winry as the woman gave a sigh of relief at the sight of her. She gave a loud gasp as Winry caught her.

'Thank goodness! I hoped you didn't wait too long...', said Riza as Winry shook her head. 'No, I had just arrived. Umm... Miss Hawkeye.'

Riza glanced sideways towards her as Winry looked at her in concern. 'Is there anything wrong? You looked worried...', she asked as Hawkeye flashed a weak smile. 'It's nothing... but I was worrying about the Colonel, I mean...'

'Mr. Roy?', asked Winry as Riza nodded. 'Well, let's get going...', said Riza as both of them left the station...

xxx

The girls rushed towards the reception building as Riza caught the officer on the desk. 'Officer Doyle! Where is he? Where's the Brigadier General?', cried Riza as the officer stuttered. 'He... went out... after the kid...'

Hawkeye frowned at him. 'What kid?', she gasped, startled. Winry also looked at her wondering as Wrath come out of nowhere. Winry looked at him in surprise.'Wrath? You're safe?', she gave a cry as Riza glanced back towards the officer.

'I don't understand... why was it?', she started to say as Winry turned towards the officer.

'Is there a phone here? I'd like to call somebody-', she asked as the officer nodded to her, muttering apologies to Hawkeye while showing the phone to the girl.

'My apologies, madam... but the situation was confusing at the time. This kid, was bringing someone along with him. That kid was unconscious and when the Brigadier General came and saw them, he immediately took the other kid to the hospital-', explained the officer as both Riza and Winry looked at him in surprise.

Riza's voice shook as she repeated the officer's words...

'Officer Doyle... just now... you've said something about...'

'-another kid?', gasped Winry as she held the phone still.

Both girls immediately turned their attention towards the young homunculus as Wrath grinned evilly. The homunculus sighed as the thought formed inside their minds...

'Edward?', both of them gasped...

xxx

Izumi Curtis felt her heart stopped as she heard the exchange from the other side of the line. More than the surprise at Winry's words that Wrath was found in Central. Her mind immediately recapture those long lost memories of the child that she had long considered as a son...

'Winry... Winry! Are you there? Answer me!', cried the woman as Siguar glanced at her from the shop.

**/Ah... sorry, I've forgotten that you still there! This... was so sudden!/**

'No matter, Winry... Are you sure about that?', queried Izumi as she heard the girl sigh.

**/I'm not sure... oh, wait! Miss Hawkeye said she wanted to check. I'll go too.../**

'Oh... wait, Winry! I'm coming over there! I know... but if it is  _him_ , I want to make sure of it myself... Yes... I'll call.', said Izumi again as she slammed the phone away. Sig walked towards her as she instinctively took her jacket with her.

'Where are you going?', asked the large man. 'Central! There's something-'

'What is it...?'

Izumi turned as Alphonse looked at her with concern...


	4. Of Fragile Hope

'Teacher! Why don't you let me go too! If it really was brother that they've found...', cried Alphonse as he bit his lips.

Izumi sighed as gazed over the kid, remembering the old armor that had the same manner of speaking towards her. She sighed.  _Now I understand why that time Al seemed a little too straight. Even if the brothers had been journeying around for four years... Al's soul that has been attached to the armor was always been an innocent 10-year-old child's soul... Despite what they've convinced themselves to believe..._

'Mrs. Curtis!'

Izumi blinked as her thoughts returned to the child. Al was looking at her with determination in his eyes. _So much the same... yet, if Ed had done the successful transmutation and brought the brother back... does that mean the something else in exchange have been taken?_

_If Ed's disappearance had anything to do with this... why was it that Ed had returned? Something doesn't seem right..._

'Al... I'm not even sure that it's really Ed. It might be someone else... Winry said that she'd check. Al, even if it really was Edward... remember?'

'The equivalent trade? Mrs. Curtis... I don't care! Just so... that I can meet him, I'm okay with it. Please', begged Al as Izumi's look had softened a little. 'Seemed I could never win against the two of you, huh? Okay then...', she said in the end.

xxx

Winry noticed Hawkeye's obvious anxiety as the nurse came towards them. 'Err, miss... do you know where I can find a man who's brought a child here this morning?'

The nurse suddenly lights up at the mentioning of it. 'Oh... you mean that handsome military man with the military suit?', gasped the young nurse as Hawkeye tried to ignore the tone of girl's voice. 'I said... where are they?', said Hawkeye again, gritting her teeth as she pulled out her handgun. Noticing the look she wore, the nurse immediately stuttered her reply. 'Room 510 and 503! The man had collapsed right after coming here with the other person! He... he's at the first room! Sorry', cried the poor nurse as Winry tried to call her before she scurried away.

Winry sighed as she turned towards Riza, before noticing the pale look she had.

'He... collapsed?', gasped Hawkeye as she suddenly ran into the corridors, towards the aforesaid room. 'Miss Riza?', sighed Winry as she scrambled to keep up with her...

xxx

'Roy?', cried Riza as she stormed into the room only to find it empty save Roy's blue military jacket on the edge of the bed, the only evidence that Roy had once occupied the room. Riza blinked as she felt a hand beside her. She turned to find Winry sighing at her. 'Perhaps... he's in the other room', quipped the girl as Riza nodded.

'Of course...', she sighed to herself.

'Riza... what happened? Did something made you worry... I mean, to make you so anxious about Roy.', asked Winry as Riza looked away.

Winry noticed the gesture as she quickly tried to apologize. 'Umm, Miss Hawkeye...? Sorry, I shouldn't have-'

'Did... Sheska told you anything about what had happened a year ago?', suddenly she heard Riza spoke. Shaking her head, Winry answered slowly. 'Not much. She wrote in the letter that the government was recovering... about the Ishbal people, and something about Roy being relieved from his duty for a while. What had happened to him?'

Riza smiled weakly at her as both started to walk towards the room no. 503.

'That time when Ed had gone after the homunculus secret hideout, we had gone to King Bradley's house to defeat him. I had been assigned to divert the escorts away from the house. The previous fuhrer told the escorts to take his family and I to the headquarters. But then... in the middle of the way, Archer crashed onto us and went straight to the Fuhrer's house...'

'Roy... had already weakened after finally defeating the previous fuhrer and he had been carrying the fuhrer's son. When I rushed back to stop Archer, I thought it would be fine... That I was still able to protect him...'

'But-?', asked Winry as Riza kept quiet. Both of them paused in front of the room as Riza slowly turned the door knob...

xxx

Inside, true enough... sat Roy Mustang on a chair, sleeping as he leaned beside the patient's bed. And lying quietly on the said bed, was the Fullmetal Alchemist, whom they have been long searching for...

Winry cast a longing look at the lad and started to walk towards him but Riza stopped her. She looked up as she noticed Riza's soft gaze towards the direction. Puzzled, she turned towards Mustang before noticing the black eye-patch.

She gave out a soft gasp. 'What... happened to his eyes?', cried the girl as Riza took off her military coat and wrapped it over the man. Roy stirred awake as he noticed Hawkeye and Winry in the room.

He yawned before muttering his apologies. 'Hi... Winry. Seems we didn't need to search for him anymore. Ed's already here... safe and sound.', said the Brigadier General before turning towards Edward, and started brushing off some of the golden bangs that had covered the lad's face. It was only then that the girls noticed the heavy bandage over Ed's forehead.

'Roy...', said Hawkeye as the man spoke again. 'Wrath told me that he'd found Ed on the desert, injured. He didn't do it though... it fazed me that he took Ed here without any thoughts.' Roy gazed towards the unconscious Ed gently as he smiled to himself.

Winry noticed it as she remembered that Ed had used to wear that kind of look, especially when the cause of his concerns revolves around Al. The look of an elder brother, caring for the younger one...

'Roy... your eye, what happened to it? Tell me!', she asked again.

Rou paused in action as he turned his attention towards her. His remaining eye widened in surprise as he shrugged at Winry.

'Happened right after I've defeated King Bradley. I was carrying Selim and barely able to walk after taking the harsh beating. At the time... it felt more like a dream as I walked out of the mansion, barely acknowledged the danger in front. And then... a sharp pain exploded on the side of my head and I passed out. It was almost a miracle that I survived at all...', he explained as Riza had her eyes cast down.

Roy sensed that look as he glanced up towards the woman. 'I already told you,Lieutenant! It's not anyone's fault. Don't you wear that look again whenever I mentioned that incident...'

Hawkeye snapped out of her reverie as she muttered her apology.

Winry grinned as she walked closer towards the soldier. 'Miss Hawkeye was only worried about you. She was very distraught just now when she saw your empty room after hearing what the nurses have said...'

'Oh', sighed Roy as he glanced back towards Hawkeye. 'Sorry... I forgot my own strength when I was worrying myself over Ed's condition. The old wound reopened just as we reached the infantry. Hey, I'm still alive, right? Don't worry too much...', he muttered apologetically as Hawkeye ruffled his hair.

'And it was just this morning that I reminded you to take care...', she sighed as she placed a hand over his shoulder. 'Aah... you're burdening me with more needless work, my dear Brigadier General.'

Roy grinned as Winry sat on the edge of the bed. 'It sure is weird, huh? Just because he's back, everything seems alright again... As if nothing had happened', she mused as she held Ed's limp hand tightly. The other two adults glanced at the sleeping lad, agreeing to what she'd said.

Roy leaned towards his side as he smirked. 'Of course. Ed's an important person... How could we afford to lose him...'

Riza smiled earnestly as she noticed the cheer finally returned into Roy's features after so long. 'Couldn't said it any better, sir. Edward... is like a piece of a puzzle inside our heart. Without him, we're incomplete in that sense...'

'That was sweet of you... Riza... Mr. Mustang...'

And Roy looked to his side as he noticed the tears of happiness dwelling in the young girl's eyes...


	5. Equivalent Trade 1

'This place-', muttered the person as he stared blankly all around him. 'Why— oh, silly me. Of course I am here...', he sighed again as he walked aimlessly along the busy road.

_'Teacher!_ _Hurry... it doesn't seem so far now. Let's go... let's go! Uncle Sig... please hurry!'_

The man swerved around as his eyes watched the threesome with amazement. He smiled. 'He really did it... but, where is he?', he wondered as he continued eyeing the child who had walked side by side with the odd couple. 'Hn... there's no more place for me to be with them...', he sighed as he started to turn around towards the opposite direction.

'Calm down, Al! I've just called them! Ed was still unconscious... there's no need to rush. Your brother will not run away...'

His heart suddenly turned to ice as he heard of those strings of words. He swerved around as the couples took the young blond kid towards another intersection...

Alphonse grinned as he skipped over the pavements. 'I'm just excited... teacher! Brother's safe... and he's here in Central!', he cried in glee, dancing around as his jolly heart could muster.

Izumi smiled at the excitement that was evident on his face. 'Okay... you got me. Come on...', chuckled the woman as her husband walked by her side, hardly noticing another person following them...

xxx

**You can't gain anything without losing something.**

**In order to create something, one must present a sacrifice of an equivalent value.**

**That was the Law of Equivalent Trade.**

**We believed that was the truth of the world when we were small...**

xxx

Ed opened his eyes slowly as he noticed several shadows, and that he was in a white room. And then, the shadows took shape and resembled faces... familiar to him. He knew them... but, why is it that he felt overwhelmingly glad? He had always been with them... isn't it? So why did it felt like...

_I missed them... so much? So much... that it hurts? Why was it…_

Winry turned as she gave a cry.

'Mr. Mustang! Miss Hawkeye! Ed... Ed's awake!', she cried excitedly as Ed felt a sudden jolt and then he's up in a sitting position. He looked up to find the Colonel (of course, he doesn't know that Roy's been promoted...) sitting by his side, smiling at him.

'Colonel—? Winry—? Miss Hawkeye—?', gasped Edward in confusion as he muttered his question. 'Why am I here—? And Colonel... what happened to that  _annoying_  left eye of yours?', he asked not expecting the reaction he received.

For without warning, suddenly he was hugged tightly by the three; with Winry continuously kissing his cheeks without restrains.

'What the— Cut it out!', cried Ed in panic as the three excited people released him. Winry chuckled as her face turned red from happiness. 'I'm sorry... I'm just so glad...'

Ed immediately reflected her reaction as he placed a palm on his cheeks. He blushed. 'You guys surprised me like that...', he said as he felt a hand, ruffling his hair. He turned abruptly, facing the Brigadier General's face.

'You can't blame her to have reacted like this. Or either of us for that matter... All of us had missed you for so long...', said the man as Hawkeye grinned at him.

'It's because we loved you so much, Edward...', said Riza as Ed scratched the back of his head, with embarrassment.

'Though... I don't get why all of you were so excited—', sighed the lad as he suddenly wore a lonesome look, '—or why did I felt the same... This strange feeling... as if I had been separated from you guys for so long...', said Ed as he clutched his heart with confused feelings.

Roy frowned at him. 'Edward... you didn't remember anything about what happened to you?', he asked as Ed just shrugged at him.

'My memories are all jumbled up together... there's some images of people... I couldn't recognize them, yet they felt... familiar. Then again... I already forgotten why was it that I became the State Alchemist...', muttered the lad before he glanced towards Roy with surprise. 'Eeh? Colonel... you called me by my name! Before this, you just... Fullmetal this... Fullmetal that... Why's the change of speech?'

Winry chuckled as Ed looked at her in irritation. 'What? Why did everyone found it amusing every time I talked?', cried Ed as the three of them laughed again.

Roy chuckled at him. 'Never mind about that...', he said as Ed noticed another person lying asleep on a nearby couch. 'Colonel... who's that guy?', asked Ed again as Winry looked at him puzzled. 'Ed? You don't remember Wrath? Or anything about the homunculus?', she gasped as Ed shook his head.

'I-what?', sighed the lad as images of a beautiful lady with a dark, curly hair... a chubby kid... a man with a strange scar... and another woman... flashed in his mind. Faces of them smiling at him... and holding their hands towards him...

Roy looked at him with concern as Ed suddenly looked up and smirked at him. 'Oii... Colonel! You still haven't answered my question! What is it with your eye... and had you and Hawkeye officially hitched?', he said with a grin as Roy looked at him with a shocked expression. Even Hawkeye, who had been draping her arm on Roy's shoulder, had pulled away in embarrassment.

Even Winry couldn't find anymore reasons to hate the one man named Roy Mustang. Any anger towards him... had been replaced by that sweet homely sense of a family...

And Roy found it hard to utter anything back at the lad as Ed continued to grin.

'When will you guys marry?', he asked as both Roy and Riza's face turned scarlet.

'EDWARD!'

Despite that, he was glad of the sudden change of smiled as he embraced Edward again. Glad to feel again his presence by his side...

Roy frowned as he eyed him seriously. 'Ed… you really don't remember anything from these past four years?', he asked as Edward shrugged. '—There's some blurry images and I remembered searching for something- and then, a painful feeling. All mixed together. Other than that, it's just. Blank.', explained Ed as suddenly the door slammed open.

The four of them looked up as Ed suddenly was hit by something. He looked down towards it… err, him, as a small blond boy hugged his lean body. The kid looked up and grinned at him.

'Brother! Finally… I got to see you again! I knew it you had existed! And you've grown so tall!', cried Alphonse as Ed looked at him with a strange frown on his face. Winry smiled at the young boy as she smiled in greeting to the other newcomers.

'Aa… Miss Izumi, Mr Sig! You guys really came. And so quick too! I thought that you guys might arrived a little later…'

The woman smirked as she winked towards Winry. 'Heh… don't ever underestimate me.', said Izumi as she noticed Wrath nearby, still asleep. Sighing softly, she glanced back towards Winry before something else caught their attention…

'—brother? What is it? You seemed… strange.', said Al as Ed continued staring at him. Roy, Riza, Winry and the Curtis couple also looked at the brothers with concern.

Ed frowned at the little brother.

'Who—'

'—are—'

'—you?', asked the lad in confusion…

Winry's eyes went wide as Al immediately let go of his elder brother…

'Brother?', said the boy in surprise.


	6. Equivalent Trade 2

**You can't gain anything without losing something.**

**In order to create something, one must present a sacrifice of an equivalent value.**

**That was the Law of Equivalent Trade.**

**We believed that was the truth of the world when we were small...**

xxx

'Edward?'

The lad looked away from the stares from his friends, his teacher and her husband... including the strange kid that had called him brother, towards the man who had just entered the room. Thankfully, the room he's in was big enough to accommodate everyone as some of them shifted away to the side of the room. Even as Wrath woke up slowly to the commotion, Ed ignored him as he stared towards the man without fail.

'You?', he cried suddenly as he rose from the bed and walked towards him, 'I've seen you before.. You were with-'

And suddenly, swift images from the past bombarded his mind as Ed flinched. Hohenheim gasped as he muttered his concerns over the lad...

xxx

'Edward!'

Ed looked up to find himself surrounded in light. He looked around in panic as a soothing voice calmed his heart.

' _Don't be afraid... Ed. It will be fine..._ '

He turned around as Trisha Elric walked towards him and held him close.

Trisha let go of him as Ed looked towards her in confusion. The woman merely smiled. 'It's okay. You're home, now... the rest, is up to you...'

Ed frowned over her words as he replied. '...had I gone somewhere before?', he asked as the woman nodded. 'Yes... and the price for it; to bring you back home, was already taken. Are you okay with it?'

Suddenly he felt a certain understanding as he let his heart answered the question. 'I'm fine with it... it felt good.  _This is where I belong._..', Ed said as he smiled weakly. Trisha smiled again as Ed suddenly wrapped his arm around her.

' _Thank you_...'

Her eyes widened as she barely heard him cry softly and her gaze became softened...

' _Thank you very much..._ '

xxx

Tears ran freely from his eyes as Ed paused a few steps from where Hohenheim stood. The man stared at him with concern as the others also looked at him, puzzled by his actions...

Ed opened his mouth as words barely came out from him.

'-mother!', he cried before his eyes become blank and he collapsed to the floor as Izumi barely caught the child, followed by the rest of the remaining people, around them.

'Ed... Ed! Wake up!', cried the woman as she barely held her own tears from falling. Hohenheim also mimicked her gestures as he tried to wake his son up. Riza and Winry were nearby, as they held Al by their side to stop him from jumping towards the brother.

Roy headed towards the door as he motioned towards them that he was going out. 'I'll call the doctor!', he said before disappearing...

The only one who hadn't reacted to this, Wrath, straightened up from his perch and merely stared towards Izumi Curtis, as the woman held the unconscious alchemist with worry.

'Ed... urgh!', Izumi flinched as she felt pain on her chest. Sig held her by the shoulders, muttering his concerns over her. The wife shook her head as she embraced the young boy. 'I'm... fine. Oh please... god.  _I don't want to lose another child of mine again..._ '

Wrath froze as he heard those words. He stared towards the woman as the Hohenheim touched her arm. He smiled weakly. 'You won't. My son is strong...', he said as he turned his gaze towards him.

'Ed will be alright...', he said again, though lacking in assurance.

'Father?'

Hohenheim turned towards the kid as he smiled weakly towards Al. 'Yes... my dear Alphonse, it's me. Boy, how you have grown...'

Dr. Alexia put away her stethoscope as she turned to face the anxious crowd. She sighed.

'He's okay...', she said as the rest of them heaved a sigh of relief. '-though I wondered why he collapsed...'

'It's probably the side effect of a fever he had a month ago...'

And everyone abruptly turned towards him as Hohenheim lifted his hand to defend himself. 'Ed was just recovering from an accident sometime ago.'

'Is that so? Then that would explain it...', said the doctor as she bowed and took her leave...

And it was silence that filled the room after that as Hohenheim walked up towards the edge of the room and sat beside Ed's bed.

'What do you mean that there's an accident! And what was this fever you're talking about! And how- explain how you two managed to return!'

'Calm down... Roy Mustang!', growled the man deeply as Roy gritted his teeth in frustration. Hohenheim looked up towards him as Roy was taken aback at the saddened look the man gave him. The man sighed, before glancing back towards Ed. 'When Ed came back, I wondered about what that have happened. My Edward wouldn't just return to that world willingly...'

'And then he told me that he revived Alphonse and considering he had come back... might as well mean that he had succeeded', he continued as he glanced towards Al. He sighed again.

'But like I said... Ed never wanted to remain in that world. Over there, even if there are people that resembled all of you around... it was not the same. And Ed had kept both his metal arm and legs, though it barely functioned in that place...'

Winry's eyes widened in surprise. 'Ed got back his automails? But I thought... Roze-san said...'

'-it's the equivalent trade, isn't it? But, what do you mean the  _other_  world..?', muttered Izumi as Hohenheim looked at her. 'It was the world on the other side of the gate...', he said as the rest of them gave a cry. 'Over there, alchemy was replaced with machineries and technology. Because we can't use alchemy in that world, Ed resorted in another way to try to return to this world. And in the course of that, he found a certain doctor who was researching about transplanting organs and limbs. And Ed went to him to have an operation to give him new arm and leg. Even when he was supposed to be resting after that operation succeeded... he went out and headed to my place. That was when the fever started...'

'Ed...', sighed Winry as Roy looked away, deeply in thought.

'After that... we got some news about the new development of the rocket technology, the one that Ed tried to use to get back here. Because I worried that he might be making light of his own health... I went on the ship with him. And that... was when  _he_  came...'

Roy looked up from his musings as he caught the spoken words. 'He? Who?', he muttered as Hohenheim wore a sorrowful look on his face...

xxx

_'Dad... I'm not your little boy anymore! Stop fussing over me...', said Edward as Hohenheim kept playing with his hair. The lad looked up annoyed at him as the elder Elric chuckled._

_'And why had you insisted to come along..? Didn't you said it before that you didn't have any intention of ever returning home?'_

_The older man laughed. 'Haha... still, I couldn't leave my sickly child to go off across the sea alone by himself! What will I do if something were to happen to you again...?' , said the man nonchalant as Ed looked at him irritated. '_

_Dad!', he cried as the man continued to make fun of him as both boarded the large ship._

_A few hours later._

_'Edward, remember when you were this small... you used to- Edward?', Hohenheim turned towards his son as Ed was crouching on his bed, with a painful look. He immediately rushed by his side as he noticed Ed's right arm was shaking violently._

_'Dad!', cried Ed in pain as Hohenheim hastily grabbed his son's medicine and helped him to swallow it._

_Ed coughed a little as the pain started to ebb away. 'Better now?' asked the father as the son nodded. Hohenheim sighed as he scolded his son lightly. 'You should have remembered to take the anti-rejection drugs on time! You've made me worry so much...', said the father again as Ed nodded his head apologetically. Before he could say anything more, the ship shook as Hohenheim grabbed hold of a railing with one hand and Ed, tightly with the other._

_It was ten minutes later that the shaking stopped. Hohenheim released Ed and started walking towards the door as another tremor came, this time from inside of the ship. He opened the door and saw the brewing panick welling inside the other passengers' hearts as some started running around for safety._

_'Dad... What is it...?' asked Ed as Hohenheim silenced him._

_'Stay here... I'll go check things out...', he said and left, leaving a very confused Ed behind._

_Could it be... the Nazis? But this is a peaceful ship, not a war cruiser..._

_Minutes passed and another tremor shook the ship sideways. Ed stumbled to the floor as he rose and caught a glimpse of the sea and glanced towards the circular glass window. He shrugged as he carefully thread towards outside of his room._

_'The sea was awfully wild tonight, I hoped that the ship could pull through-', he looked up as a shrill scream took him aback._

_'GET OFF ME... WOMAN!', growled a brute man as he tossed the woman aside. The man scrambled up the stairs followed by a whole bunch of other panic-stricken passengers. Edward try to shout back but by the time he arrived, the place was almost empty save himself and the fallen woman._

_Ed bowed down towards her and extended his hands before the woman suddenly spoke. 'It's an omen! Disaster will soon strike!', she cried with fear as she looked up towards him. Ed looked at her with surprise as the dark-skinned lady hold out a card. 'What do you mean?', he asked as he noticed the picture on that card. A tower... struck by lightning. The Tower card._

_'An omen... an omen of disaster!', said the gypsy again as the woman trembled._

No... it's a second chance... a sign for you...

_Ed turned abruptly to find no one standing behind him. He looked back towards the girl, only to find that she was gone..._

_'What the?', he gasped as he decided to go above ship. The ship shook again as violent waves rammed onto the side of the ship. Emergency sirens started blaring around him as it heightened the chaotic scene. Ed gasped as he watched the passengers and the ship crews all running about in disarray. His ears could barely functioned anymore as the blaring of the sirens, the screams of terrified souls, the thundercry and the sea crushed his senses. He also barely heard it as a terrified man shouted about the door of hell was about open..._

_That was why he was taken by surprise as he saw the gate; slowly baring its death doors as black hands scurry out of it and catching some unsuspecting passengers. And he started to notice a tinge of green coming from the depth of the gate. But then, a slight clink of sound caught his attention as Edward turned around and saw it. That was the last thing he remembered..._

_xxx_

_Hohenheim watched the gruesome scene as people were taken to shreds by those black hands. And then surprise caught him as a green dragon came out of the doors, sending spews of death flares upon another bunch of innocent souls before hovering before him. The door started to close... but it does not disappear. And the dragon started to bare its fangs towards him._

_' **Hohenheim... Hohenheim of the light! I've finally found you!** '_


	7. Equivalent Trade 3

**You can't gain anything without losing something.**

**In order to create something, one must present a sacrifice of an equivalent value.**

**That was the Law of Equivalent Trade.**

**We believed that was the truth of the world when we were small...**

xxx

The rest of the occupants went quiet as Hohenheim paused for breath. Wrath shook in fear as Izumi turned towards him. 'Are you afraid..? Here... sit by my side...', she offered kindly as Wrath looked at her with mock anger. But then, he slowly rose and sat beside the woman, as Izumi gently wrapped her arm around him.

Winry smiled as she watched the small homunculus child. Hohenheim sighed as he patted Al's shoulder as the child was already fast asleep on his lap.

Roy straightened up from his stupor as he lifted his attention towards the man. 'And then, what happened? You spoke of the dragon as 'him'. Who was it?', he asked as Hohenheim shrugged.

'My sin... the failed existence that took life as I failed to revive my first son... hundreds of years ago...'

'Envy...'

xxx

_' **Hohenheim... Hohenheim of the light! I've finally found you!** '_

_'What?'_  , gasped the man as the dragon glowed and changed into Ed and then turned into its true form. 'Hohenhime of LIGHT!', the man sneered as he grinned evilly, showing off his fangs. 'Did you forget  **this**  son of yours!', said Envy again as Hohenhime frowned at him.

'No... You are NOT my son! That son of mine was long dead... and the only other sons I had was my Ed and Alphonse! It's the same way that the woman called Sloth was not my wife...'

Envy gritted his teeth as he began to smile sinisterly. 'I expected to hear that. Well then, without further ado... I'll RIP you apart! The same way I killed that Fullmetal boy that you loved so much...', he said as he jumped towards Hohenhime..

The man swerved aside and instinctively clapped his hand together, as he fell against the floor. Miraculously, the water around him turned to ice and formed humanoid shapes and countered Envy's attack. He was taken aback as he remembered that the gate was still present. 'I see... with the gate's here... this world and the other had intertwined...!', he muttered with a sudden realization. 'And Edward! I must tell him... this was his chance to go home!', he said again as he rose and bombarded Envy with another torrent of elemental attacks...

Sounds of running footsteps echoing around him... as if he was the sole person existing in the ship. Occasionally, he heard sounds of shrieking and screaming as the other passengers turned violent and attacking each other, desperate to escape death. But he must not be careless... he have something to do!

He slammed open the door only to find that Edward was not in the room. Realizing that the child might have gone out on his own, he immediately turned back from whence he came...

Back outside, the chaos were becoming unbearable as Envy had revived and begun attacking some random people, anxious to find and kill him. As he looked around, he noticed a fallen figure amidst the rushing people. Fearing the worst, he dashed towards the figure only to be confirmed the worst.

Edward was lying stiffly on the deck as blood slowly flow from a gash on his head. Alarmed, he lifted the limp form and tried desperately to make sure that his son was still alive.

'Edward... Ed! Open your eyes! Please...', he cried as he remembered not long ago when he had dashed into the Zeppelin crash site, only to find a dead boy that once had been Ed's alternate self in this world which had been occupied shortly by the soul of his son...

Despair started to grasp onto his heart before he felt a hand weakly grasping his own. He looked down as he saw that Ed had barely opened his eyes. Weak... but very alive. Feeling relieved at this discovery, he gently lifted Ed's body (he was still light compared to his age, even as he had grown a little bit taller than before...) and started to walk towards the gate. But Envy had finally noticed them and had returned into his humanoid form. He jumped and landed in front of them as he saw Ed.

'Oii? Fullmetal boy was here too? How fascinating... I can rip his heart again along with this wretched father-', said Envy as he was greeted by storms of icy spikes. He swerved away as Hohenhime launched another ice attack, setting Edward to lie beside him. He was about to attack again as he noticed that the gate started to open again and the black hands came out and starting reaching to...

'EDWARD!', he cried, dropping his defense and grabbed his son. Hohenhime closed his eyes as the hands got nearer but then, there was a strange light and the hands were disintegrated before having any chance to tear them apart. He looked up as he saw someone that he never expected to see anymore...

Even Envy froze in his steps as his former homunculus comrades, along with Trisha and Scar emerged before the gate and held it open. Trisha walked nearer towards the man and she held out a hand. 'Edward had wanted to come home, right?', she said as Hohenhime smiled.

'Yes, he did...', he said as he glanced towards his son and kissed his forehead. 'Finally... it seemed that I could finally do something for Ed after all those times that I've neglected him and his brother...', he sighed as he slowly rose and walked towards the gate.

Envy realized this and started to run towards them. But as he reached them, Hohenheim had already entered the gate with Edward and the gate closed shut behind them. Envy slammed his fist onto the gate as the gate disappear, cursing as he felt another betrayal set upon him. 'Damn you! Damn you... HOHENHIME OF THE LIGHT! You and those children of yours! Curse you!', cried Envy as collapsed onto the floor of the deck. And for some reason... tears started to fall from his eyes as rain pelted him from the sky...

'Damn you... father...'

xxx

Hohenhime sighed deeply. 'Later, after I woke up... I found myself in Central. And I was devastated that Edward was not with me. I had no real intention of ever returning... and I only did for Ed. And then I stumbled upon this couple with Al and overheard their conversation. So I followed them here...'

'Oh... I see. Both of you might have been thrown away from each other after reentering this world. Because Wrath... found Ed in the middle of the desert.', said Roy as the other occupants gasped in shock with the exception of Wrath of course. But he was already asleep, disinterested with the story.

'But why... was Ed not remembering Al at all? After all... Alphonse was his only younger brother, and both of them were almost inseparable-', sighed Izumi as another person interrupted their conversation.

'Yes... I would like to know too.'

Immediately, Hohenheim, Roy, Riza, Winry, Izumi and Sig turned towards Ed, who was fully awake by now. 'Ed... you've heard?', gasped Winry as he nodded.

'Barely... but even then it was enough as I caught some images of it in my mind. Though, I still could not grasp anything that the old man was talking earlier... just something he said about the incident on the ship...?', said Ed as his mind started to wander elsewhere. Hohenheim lifted his hand and turned Ed's face towards him.

'Edward... do you remember who I am?'

'You are my father-', he said as Hohenheim face started to lighten. -'-you said it just now. I suppose that's the truth then...', he said again as Hohenheim's face turned pale. But then he shrugged it off. 'I should have expected this... Both of us had returned, as if there was no price to pay... even if there was.', he muttered as Izumi frowned at the note.

'Edward... you didn't remember anything about your family? About me... your brother... or your mother?', Hohenheim spoke again as he noticed a small reaction from Ed when he mentioned Trisha. 'You didn't remember anything about what happened between us?', he asked again as Ed shook his head. 'Even those times that I had abandoned you, Trisha and your brother?'

Ed shook his head again. Hohenheim chuckled. 'That's it... this was the price! I could not use my alchemic abilities anymore and Ed became like this...'

'All in order to return home again...', gasped Roy as Riza grasped his shoulder.

'Towards the people he cared for... even at the expense of his most important people', cried Winry as she wiped away the tears that had been flowing onto her face.

'Because a sacrifice had to be taken...', sighed Riza in defeat, fully understood the situation.

'...an equivalent trade had been given', said Izumi as Sig patted her shoulder in comforting way.

'Everyone?', cried Ed as he looked at them with troubled feelings. Winry immediately embraced him as she whispered into his ears. 'It's okay. You are not at fault...', she said as Edward returned the embrace...


	8. Concerns and relief

'I'm going out for a while, okay? Don't trouble yourselves too much...', said Winry as she walked out of the room, leaving Ed alone with Roy. Roy started to get up but then sat back as his old wound started to hurt again. 'Rats! Just when I wanted to act so cool...', he hissed as Ed looked at him strangely.

'Oi... Colonel. What's wrong?', he asked as Roy looked at him almost absurdly. 'Hey! I was already promoted to Brig. General! I've told you so! Why did you kept calling me Colonel-', cried Roy again as Ed started laughing merrily. 'It just suited you! I'm so used to call you that that it felt so natural. Can't get it why you're so worked up about it...'

'Ed!', cried Roy as he started wrestling with the young lad. He sighed as he pulled away. Edward smirked. 'Hey! If you sighed so much... you'll be shorter than before-'

Without warning, Ed received a smack on the head. 'I'm not going to heed that, coming from you... shrimp!', snapped Roy back at him as Ed looked at him red-faced. 'Hey! It hurts! Don't bully the patient!', he cried as he looked away, rubbing his head. Roy glanced at him, puzzled.

'Hmm? No more extended shrimp remarks?', chipped Roy again as Ed kept mumbling things.

Roy smirked again. 'What? I can't hear you-', he chirped, feeling very delighted as he could tease Ed again after so long. Ed gritted his teeth as smoke seemed to evaporate out of his ears. 'WHO-YOU'RE-CALING-A-SHRIMP-THAT-WAS-SO-SHORT-THAT-YOU-COULD-TEASE-ABOUT-HIS-MINUSCULE-HEIGHT-AND-TREAT-LIKE-A-KID-WHEREVER-HE-GO!', shouted Ed finally as Roy burst out in tears after laughing so much...

Riza Hawkeye smiled as she walked away from the door. 'Now, will you feel alright, Miss Hawkeye?', asked Winry as both sauntered towards the stairs.

'...yes. Seeing both of them laughing like that eased my worries. Musta- ree, Roy... hadn't been  _that_  cheerful ever since he found out about Ed's disappearance. That was one of the reason that his recovery was quite slow...'

Winry glanced at her before giving her a smile. 'Did he? Ha, Hawkeye! Since everyone else was off to take some air, why don't we make a party for both of them? Ed... seemed a little sad just now, when he realized he could not remember Al and uncle Hohenheim...'

Riza smiled at the idea. 'Nice one, Winry! But, let's give the two some time to talk things together... okay? We'll get something for them to eat... and made plans for the party tonight...'

Winry grinned as she nodded her head. But suddenly, something came from the back of her memories as Hawkeye blinked. 'What... Miss Hawkeye?', asked Winry as Riza shook her head. 'Un... nothing! I just remembered... today was-what a lucky day this is... truly indeed!', said Riza, chuckling as she continued walking.

Winry looked at her puzzled as she darted after her. 'Lieutenant Hawkeye! What is it-?'

xxx

Ed groaned after half an hour of being ridiculed by said Brigadier General. 'Enough already... I'm tired of shouting anymore-', moaned the lad as the man chuckled again. 'Okay, I'm also tired of laughing at you...', he said as Ed frowned dangerously at him.

'So... can you finally tell me what happened to you after all this time? And about your eye and everything. Why did you got hurt so much like this?', asked Ed as Roy sighed.

'You probably can't remember all of it, but since you and your brother had journeyed all around Amestris, searching for the Philosopher stone... there were some secrets that you guys had stumbled into. Secrets that caused a lot of deaths and suffering... including those of our friends. You've found out about the people who were involved... the homunculi, those who had instigated everything...'

'And at that time... when you were off trying to save your brother, I had left to fight with one of the homunculus that had played the most dreadful role, as he was the one that controlled the military... and us, the State Alchemist...'

Ed's eyes widened as he looked at him. 'King Bradley was a homunculus..?', he gasped as Roy smirked at him. 'Yup.. you were the one that told me. And I fought him... and he was dead.'

'So the eye?', said Ed as Roy shook his head. '-it wasn't him. But it was because of him that I am badly injured. He was so strong... and the fact that he was a homunculus made it harder. If his son hadn't brought his decadent's skull... I might have just died. Free of charge...'

Roy took a long breath as he looked away. 'When I was taking the child out of the burning house, that was when it happened. Though... I never blamed anyone for it. Not even that half-machine Archer who was so crazy over his military ideals! But she... she had always blamed herself for what happened to me...'

'Hawkeye?'

Roy nodded. 'She said... that when she had rushed towards King Bradley's house, she hadn't heard any gunshots. Therefore... it was highly possible, that the bullet that had pierced the side of my head... had came from her, as she was shooting at Frank Archer. The bullet, she said... might have ricocheted from Archer's metal plating... and hit me.'

Ed looked at him dumbfounded as he could find no words to say anything. But then, Roy smiled weakly. 'Though truthfully Ed... my memories at that time were so blurry. Didn't even realize anything before getting my head popped up for no reason. But I'm still alive now. I'm gratefully just like that. And then... you were finally found, safe and sound. I couldn't be anymore happier than that.'

'Err... Thanks. I never knew I meant so much to you guys-', Ed started to say as Roy grabbed his shoulders suddenly. 'You idiot! Who else would be my little brother that I can bully at will, other than you? Besides... it'll be no fun without you around. I already lost Hughes... and I'm unwilling to lose you either...'

Ed cringed at the remarks before looking away in sorrow. 'Colonel... Can I ask you something? Will... will they hate this new me? I had no memories of them. Yet that kid... he was looking at me with this kind of disappointment. And the old man... he seemed so sad...'

Roy glanced at him, knowing who was it that he meant. 'You mean... your father and Al. Don't worry Ed... they'll understand.'

Ed clutched the bedsheets tightly as he let out his frustrations. 'But I felt like... I'm the cause of their grievance!'

'You're not...', said Roy again as he lightly embraced the young lad that he had long considered a brother to him. '-don't trouble yourself like this. They loved you... that's all that matters.'

Ed smiled as he realized the truth in those sentences...

xxx

Winry and Riza burst into the room to find that both Roy and Ed were busily reading some magazines. 'Hi... we're back!', cried both of them as Winry put aside some of the groceries they bought. 'We've got you guys something to eat!', chirped Winry as the two guys looked at her in puzzlement.

'You two still needing to be looked after. So... we bought some nutritious food when we met up wit the others-', said Riza as Ed suddenly straightened up and hid behind Mustang. He started to shiver. 'That  _familiar_  sentence... could it be-', said Ed as Roy looked at him, puzzled.

And as if knowing what is it that they were thinking, Armstrong popped in as the two started to scream. Winry and Riza sighed as Armstrong started to cry. 'Edward Elric... you are safe! I was so very happy-', said the lieutenant colonel as now, both Ed and Roy had clung to each other like mad and Roy looking too much than just alarmed. 'Aaa... Armstrong! D-don't...', he stuttered as Roy closed his eyes and braced for the attack. But it never occurred to him to receive a gentle pat on the shoulder as he cautiously opened his eye and looked up at him.

Ed did the same as he too received similar pat on the head. Armstrong smiled. 'Brigadier General... I am also glad that you were in good health-'

'Huh!', gasped Roy as the rest of his men marched into the room. Havoc gave salute towards them as the others did the same. 'We immediately rushed over after Lieutenant Hawkeye called us up yesterday. She had been telling us that you finally had recovered yourself and Ed was found, certainly we wanted to come see...'

'So much had happened these past years... that all of us felt concerned over your welfare, Brigadier General-', said Maria Ross as she bowed towards him. She walked towards them and held out her hand towards Edward. 'Glad that you finally come back... Ed.', she said, smiling as Ed shook her hands. She bent forwards and embraced the lad as she said again. 'I was so anxious when you had went... missing.'

'Sorry...' muttered the lad as Maria edged away. Breda also smiled at them as Fuery helped out with the girls to take out the foodstuffs.

'You guys had been making the rest of us worry too much!', he said as Ed and Roy muttered their apologies. 'Haii... I never knew you guys cared about me. For Ed... it was to be expected, but me?', said Roy as he raised an eyebrow. Havoc shrugged.

'Brigadier General has been taking care of us far too well... it's almost natural for us to repay the kindness..', he said as Riza shoved them their late breakfast.

'You guys must have been hungry, right?', said Winry as both of them shrugged.

'Nah... not that much-', said Ed as he picked up a turkey sandwich and took a bite off it. Roy also sighed at it while eating his own sandwich as he caught sight of two medium-sized milk cartons before him. He smirked.

'Ed... lookie here...', he said, pointing at them. Edward paused from eating as he saw what it is. His face turned from pale to that of horror as Roy's smirk grew wider. 'Heeheehee...'

Ed gave a look that says  _Don't make me drink that horrid thing_  at Roy as the man started chirping, 'Do you want to drink it or have us forcing you to do it? Or much better... do you want to drink it from the bottle?'

Steam flew out of his head as Ed glared at the smirking brigadier general, red-faced. Winry and Riza chuckled at this scene as the others tried to restrain themselves from laughing out aloud.

Winry held out a hand as she called to Ed. 'Ed... here's a straw!', she said as Ed looked at her almost pleadingly.

'Winry-'

xxx

Hohenheim, Izumi, Sig and Al were all dumbfounded to find so many people inside Ed's room as they were also startled to find Ed, quietly sipping with a straw from what obviously looked like a carton of chocolate milk. 'Brother! You've drank your milk!', cried Alphonse in glee as Hohenheim sat beside him, smiling.

'I thought you really hated milk. You've punched me before for mentioning it... and as far as I could remember, you always made a horrid face whenever Trisha asked you to drink your milk...', he said as Ed turned his face at him in mock anger.

But as soon as he saw Hohenheim, his expression faded as he looked away... his anger faded into embarrassment as he felt his face flushing harder.

'Did I...?', he muttered as he thought about what he said. 'Uh... yeah. And it doesn't taste so bad... either...', said Ed, as he kept focusing on his feet.

Hohenheim patted his back. 'Edward... it's okay. If you still felt awkward to call me father, you could call me whatever you want-'

'N-no... I-I...', Ed stuttered as Al lunged forward and hugged him.

'Brother. I'm glad to finally see you after so long. It's enough for me... just like that-', said Al as Ed looked at him with awkward feelings.

'Alphonse... err, Al-', gasped Ed as suddenly, tears started flowing from his eyes. Ed wiped away the tears with his hand. 'Eeh!', he gasped again as he stared at his hand, looking towards the droplets of his own tears.

'What! Never seen your own tears?', Roy chided as Ed immediately tossed away the empty milk carton. 'WHO-YOU-CALLING-A-KID-THE-SHRIMP-WHO-CAN'T-STOP-CRYING-THAT-HE-WAS-BIG-CRYBABY-AND-NEEDED-HIS-MAMA-TO-CALM-HIM-DOWN-WITH-A-PAT-ON-THE-HEAD!', he shouted as he jumped on Mustang. Everyone else just stared at the two of them as they found no words to express their surprise.

'Ouch! My head-'

'Haha... serve you right... Get off me, now!'

'You... stupid COLONEL! Eat this!'

'For the last time... I'm not a colonel anymore! Brigadier Gen-! NOT... COLONEL!'

'Hyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! (I don't caaaaaaaaaaaaaare!)'

And the rest of the people stood stoned as they continued watching the two...


	9. Heartache

Roy cautiously opened the door as he waved towards the people inside the room. 'Haha... see ya!', he chirped before hastily ran pass the corridors. Some of the nearby nurses and patients looked passed him as they wondered why the young general acted like that. The instant that thought started to settle, the door of the room which the general had been from, opened abruptly as another patient... shorter than him, ran off after the said brigadier general Roy Mustang.

'WHO YOU'RE CALLING- COME-BACK-HERE-YOU-COLONEL-I-WANNA-GIVE –YOU-A-SMACK-ON-THE-HEAD!', cried Edward as he, injured as he is... chased after the fleeing man. The rest of the people who had been noticing Roy Mustang peculiar behavior just now, froze as the golden tuft of wind breezed passed them.

Moments later, Riza Hawkeye walked up towards them and bowed apologetically. 'Sorry... Sorry to disturb you all...', she said and gave salute towards the other military officers, who were also the patients. The woman looked away towards the fleeting direction as the others caught up with her. 'Where—'

'There!', she pointed as Havoc gaped his mouth at her. 'Havoc and Fuery - secure the north entrance, Armstrong - you watched south, I'm after them. Others... you guys do what you guys want to do! We should be ready before the storm ended!', barked the lieutenant as she vanished from sight. Havoc and the others froze for a moment before realizing the meaning...

'Hai... the lieutenant colonel was something. We know we're in the military but...', Havoc started to say before Breda stopped him. 'Just do as she says... okay? Anyway, we have a lot of work to do...', he said as he winked at him. Havoc shrugged. 'Guess so... isn't it? Brig. Gen and Ed must not stumble back here before  _that_ , huh? Alright... let's go Fury..', he added as he walked away with Fuery.

Maria Ross laughed as she glanced towards the others. 'I guess it's left to us! Winry, care to help?', chirped the woman as Winry nodded.

'And may I offer my help!', cried Armstrong as Maria looked at him in horror. 'Lieutenant colonel! Hawkeye-san had told you to watch the second entrance! We won't want Sir Mustang and Ed drop in before the surprise!', she said almost hysterically as Armstrong relented and headed to his post.

Winry chuckled as Hohenheim merely shrugged over it. He sighed. 'I guess I'll be at Ed's room if you guys needed me...', he said finally as he walked back towards the hospital room. Winry looked towards him in wonder as Izumi softly tapped her shoulder. 'I'm going after that kid...'

Winry glanced before her as the woman shrugged and started to walk away, waving at her. 'I still had to teach someone something to think about, that stupid kid-', she hollered as Winry smiled weakly...

xxx

'GET BACK HERE! YOU... CHILDISH BASTA-! Ungh-'

Roy stopped laughing as he noticed that Ed has abruptly stopped yelling at him and turned back. To his surprise, he saw Ed kneeling in pain as he clutched his chest. He immediately rush over as Ed looked up towards him.

'Col- Roy, what exactly had happened to me?', Ed struggled to say as Roy gentle held him to his side. But then he noticed where Ed had clutched and suddenly remembered what Winry had told him and Riza long time ago in a letter when he had asked about what happened to Ed, few month ago...

_'Roze. That time she had said when Ed had came back from the other side, Envy and him..._

_...It was so quick, even she said that she still could not believed it. Seeing that... snapped her back to reality...'_

_'What do you mean... Winry?'_

_'...Envy. He... after showing Ed his true face, he had pierced his hand through Ed's heart! He had killed... Ed!'_

_He killed Ed..._

That sentence echoed in his mind as he remained still.

'Colonel... had I... died before?'

Roy blinked as he looked back towards Ed, noticing the faraway look. He suddenly shrugged and started to change the topic. 'Ehehe... what are you talking about! That... was nonse-'

'I suddenly remembered something... just now. I saw this guy... and somehow, I felt as if I knew him. He looked at me so hatefully... yet, I felt sorrow for no reason. I sensed that I also hated the guy... though still, I felt pity for him. And this pain, it felt so familiar. As if I had known this feeling of pain before...'

Roy looked at him in mixed alarm and panic as Ed stared towards him again. 'Is that true? Had I... died before?'

'So what if you did?'

Roy and Ed turned around and looked towards the speaker suddenly, as Izumi Curtis grinned towards them. She walked towards them and knelt before Ed as Roy noticed that Riza had also come with her.

Izumi smiled as she patted Ed's head fondly.

'What does it matter if the fact was true or not? You were alive Ed, and that was more important...', she said as Ed stuttered wordlessly.

'Madam...', Ed gasped as the woman helped him to stand. Roy got up too as Riza walked to his side. Izumi gave a sigh.

'No wonder your memories had been taken away...', she muttered as she glanced at him. '-with everything that you have gone through and seen, you wouldn't have valued your life more than other people's. I think... that was why your father seemed relaxed... even at the fact that his beloved son did not have a memory of him. At least... for this last exchange, you would have been able to live a happy life without anymore sorrow and remorse buried deep. As a plus, now nobody will ever know anymore about creating the Philosopher Stone...'

Roy smiled weakly at that remark as Ed nodded in understanding. 'Is it? Then, he and Al... were not angry at me?', he asked as Izumi looked at him in surprise. 'Of course not. How could you still-'

'Oww!'

'Mr. Roy... didn't I told you to be careful?'

Izumi and Ed glanced at them in amusement as Roy pouted at Riza. 'I didn't see that!', he cried as he recollected himself and brushed away some dust off his shirt. 'And who was the idiot to put that stray pot in the middle of the way-', he muttered angrily as he tried to hide the faint blush on his cheek when Riza had spontaniously grabbed him.

Riza hit him lightly on his head. 'With that one eye... you should have been more aware of your surroundings! Especially since you're the one who had been running around the place with Ed like a silly kid...'

'Wha- I-', he stuttered as Riza dragged him by the ear. 'Come on... you two patients had been most troubling. Let's get you back to your rooms...', she said sternly as both walked pass Izumi and Ed. 'Riza-', cried Roy, blushing even harder as Ed laughed at him.

'Hahaha... Roy-san, you know... if we can get a new eye and replaced it with that bad eye, you could have no more need for that eyepatch... and regain your perfect eyesight-'

Roy looked up towards Ed in wonder as Ed lightly fingered his right arm. 'This... was something that I just thought, from that faintest memories that I have left of the other world.', sighed Ed as he added. 'And it's not really Human Transmutation, so we won't have to worry much about the cost...'

Izumi frowned. 'Ed... did you still remembered about that forbidden transmutation... or the gate?', she asked as Ed shrugged. 'Some... But I sort of remembered something from a strange world... about transferring organs and sorts from a recently deceased person to another...'

Roy blinked at him silly as he smirked. 'Nah... you shouldn't have been so nice to offer me help...', he said. Ed smirked back.

'Just wanted to repay an old debt...', the lad grinned.

'Oh? You shouldn't have... I'm fine with this. Or else... I won't be receiving any more of Riza's 'special' care if I got back my perfect set of eyes...', said Roy playfully as Riza started hitting and tripping him off to ground. 'What did you say! This will be a chance for you to get back to normal... and this is the only thing in your head! You-'

Roy shrieked as he lifted his arm to shield himself from Riza's bashing. Ed started chortling as he also jumped in and made fun of the brigadier general along with Hawkeye. Izumi laid back as she smiled over the obvious change in Ed...

'Stop it! You guys!', cried Mustang as Ed hadn't stopped making a mess off his hair. Riza suddenly stopped punching Roy as she kissed his cheeks. Roy looked at her dumbstruck as Riza grinned. 'Stupid you... if we could recover your other eye, then I could finally see that cute face of yours again... without that eyepatch-', she said as Roy blushed.

Ed grinned as he slapped him hard on the back. 'Yup! And after then your wedding picture would not be so horrid-looking either... hahaha!', he chirped as Roy glared at him red-faced.

'EDWARD! STOP TEASING ME ABOUT THAT-AGAIN!', he screamed as Riza, Ed and Izumi laughed heartily...

Meanwhile, the remaining people at Ed's room saw the trio from the window and feeling a tad bit relieved. Hohenheim smiled. 'Somehow... I did not feel regret anymore, returning to this world...'

'Of course you won't...', said Al as he stood beside him. 'You got another chance to be with me and brother again...', said Al as Hohenheim patted his head.

'Indeed...'


	10. Epilogue

'Naa... I'm no kid... why you have to... eeh? Riza, where you taking us? Room's over that side-', pointed Roy as the lady dragged the two towards another corridor. 'You'll see...', said Hawkeye short as she let go of Ed's hand. Ed was about to ask again before Izumi shoved him along.

'Aaa... Mrs. Curtis! What's going on!', he ask with worry as Izumi just smiled. 'There's nothing to worry about...'

'There's no such thing as no such thing! Where're we going!', cried Ed helplessly as the two women dragged them toward a large hall. Just before the entrance, were Havoc and Winry waiting to greet them. Both boys hung their mouths open as Winry smiled at Ed.

'Don't worry... we're not fooling you guys or anything...', said Winry, grinning at them as she pulled on Ed's arm. Havoc smirked at his superior as he bowed.

'We did this all especially for you guys! Come on in...', he said as he led them into the hall.

Inside, both Mustang and Edward gasped as they saw the huge banquet and the large banner before them...

: HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BRIGADIER GENERAL MUSTANG AND WELCOME BACK EDWARD! WE LOVE YOU BOTH:

Roy could not believe his eyes, even at the fact the he forgotten his own birthday at that. He could not stop himself from blinking his eyes and shaking his head very hard as he felt a loving arm wrapping his waist. He turn his face to his side as Riza kissed his cheeks.

'Relax... and enjoy the party, kay?', she said as she let go. Roy's face flushed as he stammered, 'What the... Riza! You shouldn't- It's embarrassing! I don't-'

Hawkeye patted his head before pulling him towards the crowd. 'This is to make you remember that you're now 31 years old! And it so happened that Edward has return to us just before your birthday... isn't it convenient?', she said as Roy stuttered like a choked duck.

'Mr General... why don't you take it easy? It's not everyday that people made a party for you.', said Ed as he grinned at him. 'Yeah... and Riza-san has even ordered a special birthday cake for you!', chirped Winry as she grinned.

'It's Brigadier!', corrected Mustang as Izumi shoved them around. 'Hey! This is no time to just chat... let's start the party!', cried Izumi as Al, who had been near, jumped in joy. 'Yeah! Let's get the party going!', he cried as the rest of the crowd cheered. Ed, Winry and Riza happily shoved the man towards his birthday cake as Glacier appeared next to them. Roy looked at her in surprise as the woman smiled.

'Miss Hawkeye had called me earlier about this abrupt and delightful news. So I bake this cake especially...', said Glacier as she smiled at Ed. 'Welcome back, Ed...', she said again as Ed returned the smile.

'Uncle Roy! Here... your present!', cried a sweet little voice as Hawkeye lifted the little girl.

Elysia Hughes shoved a small wrapped gift towards him as Roy froze. The little girl chuckled as she took the chance to place a party hat on Roy's head. 'Uh!', he gasped as he was nudged by Ed and Riza. He turned towards them as Ed scoffed at him. 'Hey, birthday boy! People are waiting for you!', he said as Roy smirked...

He carefully removed the ribbons and the paper packaging as he got out a small rectangular box. He opened it and pulled out a small picture frame. As he glanced over the picture, a smile crept into his features as he saw that Elysia had cut out pictures of him, Ed, Winry, Riza, herself and her parents and turned it into a collage, where it seemed as if all of them had taken a pictures together. Roy smiled again as he saw Hughes picture smiling at him.

He started to smirk. _Hughes... your Elysia was exactly as you..._

'Roy!'

Roy jumped as Ed called out to him, with mouth full of cake. 'You better eat yours or else I'll finish your birthday cake myself!', he cried, chuckling as Roy glared at him back. 'Try if you dare! I won't let you off that easily...', he countered as he scooped a piece of his own cake slice and chomped on it. Glacier smiled as she patted Ed's shoulders. 'If you liked it so much, I'll bake another on your birthday later, okay? And I'll have Winry to help too..', she said as she winked at Winry. Ed blushed at that hidden joke but smiled at her. 'Okay!', he said as Al jumped at her.

'Auntie... this cake is so tasty!', the young lad cried. Glacier smiled as she patted Al on the head...

'Want some?' The lad stared at the cake as he looked up towards the woman. 'It's good... try tasting it.', said Izumi again as she sat beside him. Wrath looked away as Izumi kept taunting him with the cake. And finally, he relented and scooped a small piece with his fingers and put it in his mouth. He gave a cry. 'Wow! Tasty...', he said as he paused to look at Izumi, who gave him a gentle smile.

'I probably not as good as Glacier as to bake a good cake, but I could try. Can you... I mean, I hoped that you'll let me. To be your mother again. Oh, that's impossible isn't it? You won't want me to-'

Wrath looked at her sorrowful face as he remember all those times when he had been embraced and cared by the woman. Those short moments before he had been taken away and met the other homunculus.

He placed a hand over hers as Izumi looked at him in surprise. 'Mama...', gasped Wrath as Izumi smiled and embraced him. 'Thank you... my child.', she gasped as Sig watched his wife. Glad..

'Grandma and Roze would be so glad to see you again, Ed!', cried Winry as Ed glanced towards her. 'I'll bet! I want to show Grandma Pinako how tall I have become...', he laughed as the music had changed into a slower waltz. He chuckled as he saw Mustang rose and asked Riza for a dance.

Following their actions, some of the other couples also rose and started dancing, even Izumi and her husband. He chuckled as he watched Maria Ross fleeing from Armstrong and opted for a dance with Lieutenant Breda. He smiled also as he watched Glacier dancing with Havoc.

'Ed, let's dance!' Ed jumped as he turned to find Winry holding out her hand towards him. He blushed as he held her hand. 'Winry... you are not supposed to do that!', he said, smirking. 'I'm the one supposed to ask you...', he added as Winry's grin grew wide. 'Well... you took a long time to do that.', said Winry as Ed rose beside her.

Without thinking, Ed suddenly gave a soft kiss on her lips before pulling her towards the centre of the hall. Winry blushed as both of them danced beautifully...

xxx

Two months later...

Ed fastened his boots as he looked over his bags and checking everything. He looked himself in the mirror before smiling satisfactorily. After examining everything, he took his bags and went downstairs. When he walked into the living room, he was taken by surprise as Rose and her baby, Grandma Pinako, Winry and his father were sitting and waiting for him at the dining table. Moreover, he noticed an extra bags near the couch.

'What-', he gasped as Winry helped him with his things and placed them beside the others. Pinako removed the pipe from her mouth as she spoke. 'You're going to the Central, right? So before that, I'd like to have breakfast with you before you two leaves...'

'Two?', he asked in surprise as he sat on his chair. 'I'm coming with you!', said Winry as she sat back on her chair. Ed started to open his mouth in protest before settled in defeat. 'You won't let me leave you so easily, isn't it?', he said as Winry grinned.

'Of course!'

The man snorted impatiently as the other woman snickered. 'They're late!', cried the man as the woman chuckled at him. 'Relax, Mustang-junsho... they'll be here any moment...', said Riza Hawkeye as the man looked at her. Riza sighed as she glanced to the other side. 'Though... it surprised me why you even allow Winry to come applying for work in the military...'

Roy shrugged. 'She asked... and it was just as a desk job! And it's good to have Ed someone to watch over him, I can't do that ever so often. And... Armstrong is so-ooooo... not an appropriate candidate.'

Riza laughed as she spotted someone, waving at them not far away. 'They're here...', she said as Roy turned to glance at the direction. He smirked as he saw Ed and Winry walking towards them with their bags. 'Yo, Ed! Nice uniform... you look good!', he said as Ed rubbed his nose.

'Ehehe...', he shrugged as Winry greeted them. Riza smiled as she nudged Roy on the ribs.

'Did you did this on purpose? To have Winry watching over Ed as I did you?', she said as Roy went after Ed and started to push him away. 'Err... let's go... Ed. I've got work for you... you know that from now on, you'll serve under my wing.. right? So let's go!', he said as the girls giggled at his response.

Realizing what they were talking about, Ed tried vainly to free himself from Roy as he cried. 'Roy! What have you been scheming!'

'Nothing... nothing...!', chirped Roy happily as the four of them headed back towards the headquarters.

Al folded the letter on his hand as Izumi watched him from nearby. She cocked her eyebrows as the lad smiled at her. 'It's from father. Brother and Winry had left to Central! Teacher... I wanted to learn more alchemy! I want to work alongside brother too!'

Izumi smiled at him as she folded her arms at him. 'Well... if you wanted to learn more...', she looked away as she called out. 'Edwin! Come here... have another practice with Al!', she cried as Wrath came over and started mock fighting with Al. It had been decided that the boy should be given a name.

Al smirked as he countered Edwin's swift moves. _Yes... I'll study more... and achieve the same level as brother! I'll serve the people and do great things. If I could also recover my lost memories along the way..._

_I'll treasure it... all my life..._

_Because that important person..._

_Was now by my side..._


End file.
